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Correspondence from Jane Smith Washington to William L. Washington, December 18, 1864

[Page 1]
“Do not think of coming home, unless I write for you, you could do us no good here, your presence would only add to our cares. All our friends are as kind as they can be and I hope in a few weeks to be able to tell you that everything is satisfactorily arranged. Till then be hopeful and cheerful, and study as hard as you can. Your letters of 5th, and 10th, have been received Good bye God bless you my dear boy.
My dear Son.
I suppose you have received Mr. Andersons letter containing an account of the occurrences at home last Wednesday and Thursday week. Friday morning (9th) was bitter cold and in coming up very early in the buggy with Dr. Dunn, my fingers were frost bitten and I was not able to hold a pen or even dress myself for nearly a week, and so asked Mr. A to write to you, which he very kindly did. I will try to give you a faithful history of a scene which God willing I hope never to witness again. But first in order to give you a clear insight into the causes which prompted the act I must review some occurrences which took place in our immediate”
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“neighborhood only two days previously. On Monday the 5th four men dressed partly in federal uniforms had robbed in open day Traughber, Red Burns, Squire Ayres, Ledbetter, Jim Morrow and several others. Dr. Dunn called by that afternoon and told us of it. The next day those same men robbed old Stroud Buck Darden and took Lon Polks horse. That night about 9 o’clock Dr. Dunn again stopped at the gate and told us to look out that those men were in the neighborhood and would pay us a visit. The next morning old Dick reported that they had been seen in the Vanhook field. All these things naturally put us on the qui vive, and we were looking every moment for the robbers. We and not a neighbor in five miles had ever heard that there was a horse presser in the country. We were all expecting robbers, but had no idea there was a federal in the country. Your Father had been at the Tobacco”
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“barn all day and about half past three, he came to the house with Joe and eat his dinner. He had just risen from the table when Joe and Irene came rushing in saying two robbers were at the stable trying to steal Ball. Your Father seized his gun and rushed out, saw one of the men leading Ball off from the stable door and fired upon him instantly. So rapidly did the thing transpire that before I could run to the wall, the shot was fired and the mans companion was galloping with all his might down towards the mill. Your Father and Granville mounted to go in pursuit of the fellow, who had jumped the Orchard fence and was making rapidly for the Chestnut lot Granville went through the Peach Orchard your Pa started rounding by the pond, and at the grannary came in sight of a squad who fired on him several times. He”
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“at once returned to the house, had Granville called in and prepared for defence expecting every moment to be attacked by the gang of robbers as we thought them to be. In the mean time the gang rode off in the direction of the Cedar Hill were gone nearly and hour, when they returned, rode to the stable where I had had the man locked up, and then turned and again went towards Cedar Hill. I had the stable door locked when the man staggered into it, because I thought he was only wounded and perhaps some one might be able to identify him and thus discover who composed the gang. He had on federal pants his other cloths were those of a citizen. While the men were still round the place, I wrote to Dr. Dunn to get some friends and come to our assistance and sent to Col. Downey for a guard. In less than an hour after Foster returned from Turnersville, Dr. Dunn came over with a Co from the 7th Ohio,”
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“Col Garrard, the whole command 160 men encamped there that night and saw the man, and heard the circumstances, and the Col remarked that your Pa was doing good border service, that he saw no evidence of the fellow having belonged to either army, and applauded you Father for his act. Col. Downey sent down a squad but finding us amply guarded by Col. Garrards forces they returned to Springfield. The next morning not fifteen minutes after Col. G. left the house, about twenty men of the 8 Michigan under Lieut. Crowley came dashing up to the house like demons and in an instant were swarming all over it calling for your Father with the most blasphemous oaths and abusive epithets, threatening to shoot him on sight. I took Lieut. Crowley to the room where your Father was, he abused him for every thing under the sun, but your Father never answered him a word except that he was not conscious of having done wrong, but that before a”
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“proper tribunal he would answer any questions. His calmness only enraged them more, I saw they would murder him if they took him from the house, and I and your Grandmother in tears and on our knees besought that man to send him under guard to Springfield, he scoffed at our prayers and drove us from him with oaths. They finally took your Father and started off with him but had not got to the top of Jinneys hill before they were overtaken by a squad of the 14th Illinois under Lieut. Evans and your Father was brought back again. Crowleys command returned also, and then began a scene which I shudder to recall. I stood by your Father all the time, feeling that his safety even for a moment depended upon me. The officers incited the men to greater fury than even then possessed them and after talking to them in a way to rouse their bad passions even higher left them without control to vent their fury at will. For two mortal hours,”
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“threats, curses, jeers and taunts as to his fate were heaped upon him and I, pistols were snapped in his face, and shaken over his head, my prayers and tears were made a scoff and jest, a band of indians could not have taken more devilish delight in tormenting a prisoner. Your Father stood confronting them calmly and fearlessly, steadily looking into their eyes, and they quailed before the steady gaze of an unarmed prisoner like cowards as they were. I felt the end was drawing near and taking my arms from around him, I started to seek an officer leaving the three little girls standing round his feet. I had not left him a second when I heard a shot and turning saw your Father staggering from the shock, but in one instant he had recovered himself and was grappling the pistol with both hands. I rushed in between them and clasping my darling round the neck placed my body between him and”
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“the man, who cocking his pistol would have shot again through me, had not a comrade caught his hand with the remark “you have done enough” I shrieked murder with all my power. Your Father stood as calmly defiant as ever. The children screaming round our knees, and those demons gloating over our misery. In twenty minutes or longer Lieut. Doyle of 8th Michigan came to us, and through his influence we were allowed to go to the house, where he helped me bind up the wound until the arrival of Dr. Dunn. One of the men who had most strongly threatened your Fathers life, came with us to the house, our self appointed guard and remained in the room with his gun all the time. While this had been transpiring the house had been pillaged from ground to cellar trunks broken open & rifled, furniture chopped to pieces with axes, doors burst down , and your Grandma cursed and told if she did not give them 500.”
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“dollars they would burn the house over her d_nd old head. They robbed Granville of everything he had.
Now let me tell you how wonderfully God worked for our salvation, while these scenes were being enacted here, a man who had gone to Springfield to get a reciept for his horse, overheard the threats of those men and going to Col. Downey told him, to go down and save us if he could. Boyd heard the same rumors, Col. Wiley Woodard also heard them & reported them to the Col. who at their suggestion and from the noble instincts of his own heart jumped into the saddle and with Boyd and an escort of 12 men, came under whip and spur through the near way to our rescue. Not one moment too early did he come, their plundering almost done, the next act would have been murder and fire as was proved by their firing the straw in the cellar, just after Col. Downey came.”
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“He saw the Lieut. And I do not know how he accomplished it but by asserting his authority as commandant of this post to hold prisoners charged with any crime he got your Father out of their hands and into his. Then I felt his life was measurably safe, but Col. Downey had but 12 men while they were 50 strong, and we feared that after night they might over power his guard and still work their will. To guard against any difficulty the Col. sent back to Springfield for reinforcements and after their arrival, left us a guard of fifteen men, and with the others brought your Father here. While Col. Downey was waiting for his reinforcements, the men of Crowleys & Evans commands, began to burn the outbuildings Col. D. had only men enough to guard the house and we had to let them burn. The Woods, barn with the whole Tobacco crop was first consumed, then the shuck pens and corn cribs, then the large”
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“barn where the hay was kept. (you remember the barn and stable below the house) That set some of the negro cabins on fire but they were extinguished, then they burned the Rocky barn in which was stored, wagons farming implements, threshing machine shingles enough to cover the house, and many other valuable things. The fencing caught from this fire, and but for the prompt exertions of Seargent Jackson (a negro) the whole place would have been consumed.
I can never forget Col. Downey and noble Col. himself, to the privates in the ranks, deserve our warmest gratitude, you are indebted to them, through God’s good providence for your Fathers life. My children shall remember Col. Downey as their greatest benefactor.
The case has been laid before Gen. Rassean, and Gen. Thomas, and they approve Col. D’s conduct throughout. We are staying with Gen. Garner, and he, his most excellent Wife and all”
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“his family vie with each other in kindness. Your Father is held subject to farther orders none of our friends anticipate any trouble. Most probably when the excitement subsides about Nashville his case will recieve attention. The bullet passed entirely through his arm above the elbow, but missed the bone, it is healing as well as we could desire. Boyd remained with your Grandma until day before yesterday, he will return there again. When our future movements have been determined on I will write you fully. For the next few weeks we remain in Springfield either here or at Aunt Susans. Grandma and the children are well. I hear from them every day. I wonder she did not die under this great distress but God has upheld her as He has done us all. Blessed be His name for ever more. My heart says Amen, in the fulness of gratitude to Him and the instruments he used to show His power.
Your devoted Mother, Jane Washington”

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While TSLA houses an item, it does not necessarily hold the copyright on the item, nor may it be able to determine if the item is still protected under current copyright law. Users are solely responsible for determining the existence of such instances and for obtaining any other permissions and paying associated fees that may be necessary for the intended use.